Cigarette insert



June 25, 1951 c. E. DOWNS I CIGARETTE INSERT Fil'ed Nbv. 10, 1949 INVENTOR. GEORGE E. DOWNS Patented June 26, 1951 U N [TED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE INSERT George E; Downs, St. Joseph, Mo. Application November-'10, 1949, Serial No. 126,617

This invention relates to a cigarette insert, and

more particularly to a device insertable into the end of a cigarette. to be placed in. the mouth.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a device which is insertable into the end of a cigarette to be placed in the mouth to somewhat compact the tobacco inthe cigarette near such end, rendering the cigarette firmer at this end and deflect the smoke issuing from the cigarette away from the tongue of the-smoker and diffuse and cool the smoke as it issues from the cigarette, which device may be formed of various materials and provided as. a, reusableor entirely dispensable article, and may be flavored, if desired, and which is simple in construction, neat and attractive inappearance; and can be manufactured at a substantially nominal cost.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette with an insert illustrative of the invention inserted in one end thereof;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal medial cross section of a fragmentary portion of a cigarette showing a cigarette insert illustrative of the invention operatively inserted into the cigarette;

Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the insert illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing a somewhat modified form of insert; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 5 showing a still further modified form of insert.

With continued reference to the drawing, the cigarette insert comprises a slender elongated straight stem I0 of a diameter which is only a small fraction of the diameter of a cigarette and a length which is a similar small fraction of the length of a cigarette. This stem is conically pointed at one end, as indicated at l I, and a plurality of barbs or hooks [2 are provided on the stem and extend from the pointed end thereof longitudinally toward the opposite end of the stem and outwardly away from the stem at an acute angle to the center line of the latter. These barbs are spaced at substantially equal angular intervals around the stem and may be provided in any desired number, three such barbs, as illustrated in Figure 3, having been found to provide satisfactory results in use. A circular head I3 is provided on the end of the Stem opposite the pointed end of the latter and 2. Claims. (01. 131-43) 2 this head is substantially concentric with, thelongitudinal center line of the stem, and has a diameter slightly less than the. diameter of the The surface'of the head ad. jacent the stem is convex or conical, and centered end of a cigarette.

on the center line of the stem so that such coni-- cal surface is apical at the center line of the-stem.

engage in the tobacco shreds in the. cigarette to.

hold the insert firmly in place and the insert slightly compresses or compacts the tobacco. around the stem l0, rendering this end of the. cigarette firmer so that it is easier and more pleasant to hold within the lips. The head. I3. is. closely adjacent to and overlies the corresponding end of the cigarette, and the conical surface of the head deflects the smoke radially outwardly around the stem and prevents the smoke from impinging directly onto the tongue of the smoker. The insert may be made of a suitable heat conductive material such as metal, in which case it will absorb a considerable amount of heat from the smoke, thereby cooling the smoke and rendering it more pleasant to the taste. In order to increase this cooling effect the insert may be provided on its convex or conical surface with a plurality of radially disposed fins l4 spaced at substanially equal angular intervals around this convex surface of the head [3 of the insert.

The surface of the head I3 opposite the shank l0 may be provided in various shapes, some of which are illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the face of the head opposite the shank is a plane surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the stem I0. In Figure 5 this face of the head i3 is arcuately concave, as indicated at 15, and in the form shown in Figure 6, this face of the head is arcuately convex, as indicated at Hi. All of the shapes provide comfortable abutments for the tongue of the smoker and prevent the tongue from coming into contact with the tobacco at the end of the cigarette which is placed in the mouth of the smoker. The insert may be made of a material such as paper pulp and inserted into the cigarette at the time of manufacture of the latter. In this case the inserts would be dispensable along with the cigarette butts and the material of which they are made could be suitably flavored, if desired, or may be left neutral. The inserts could also be made very inexpensively of a readily moldable material such as synthetic resin plastic, in which case they might be either dispensable or reusable, and they may also be made of various metals and metal alloys in which case they would be reusable and would have better heat absorbing qualities, Such an insert could, for example, be made of a precious or semiprecious metal, such as silver, and inserted by the smoker into the cigarette he smokes, and removed from the cigarette stubs or butts before discarding the latter.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by'the appended claims rather than by the foregoing de- 7 1 scription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette insert comprising a unitary body including an elongated stem pointed at one end, barbs on said stem extending from the pointed end thereof toward the opposite end and outwardly of said stem, and a circular head on the opposite end of said stem concentric with the longitudinal center line of the stem and having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the end of a cigarette, said head having on its side adjacent said stem a conical surface apical at thelongitudinal center line of the stem, and having a peripheral edge disposed in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal center line.

2. A cigarette insert comprising an elongated stem pointed at one end, barbs on said stem extending from the pointed end thereof toward the end thereof toward the opposite end and outwardly of said stem, a circular head on the opposite end of said stem concentric with the longitudinal center line of the stem and having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the end of a cigarette, said head having on its side adjacent said stem a conical surface apical at the center line of said stem and on its side opposite said stem a plane surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the stem, and angularly spaced apart fins radially disposed on said conical surface.

GEORGE E. DOWNS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,214,153 Gibson Jan. 30, 1917 1,821,159 Hughes Sept. 1, 1931 2,200,237 Kirsten May 7, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 375,019 Germany May 5, 1923 

